Born in 1910, Jim Kjelgaard grew up in the Black Forest region of Pennsylvania, which became the setting for many of his books (he called it "the Wintapi region"), including Big Red. In the 1940s and 50s he authored more than 40 books for middle grade readers, making him one of the most in...

Born in 1910, Jim Kjelgaard grew up in the Black Forest region of Pennsylvania, which became the setting for many of his books (he called it "the Wintapi region"), including Big Red. In the 1940s and 50s he authored more than 40 books for middle grade readers, making him one of the most influential children's authors of the era. He died in 1959.